Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ichikawa and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ichikawa: $1,167 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Ichikawa
Learn more

Ichikawa Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Ichikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,167

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ichikawa and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ichikawa and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,167 in Ichikawa versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Ichikawa $1,167
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,876 in Ichikawa versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Ichikawa $1,876
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,585 in Ichikawa versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Ichikawa $2,585
Nosara $3,818

Living in Ichikawa costs roughly 37% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ichikawa is 14% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 ¥811

$12.35 ₡5,539

-58.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.09 ¥4,912

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-49.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.30 ¥680

$7.52 ₡3,373

-42.82%

Cappuccino

$2.23 ¥352

$4.41 ₡1,978

-49.43%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥113

$1.74 ₡780

-58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥55.7

$1.31 ₡587

-73.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 ¥395

$3.28 ₡1,471

-23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ¥502

$4.47 ₡2,004

-28.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ¥218

$1.56 ₡701

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ¥261

$3.02 ₡1,355

-45.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 ¥578

$2.51 ₡1,125

45.82%

Eggs

$1.97 ¥311

$3.57 ₡1,603

-44.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 ¥1,663

$7.43 ₡3,333

41.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 ¥926

$10.52 ₡4,717

-44.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 ¥2,272

$13.97 ₡6,265

2.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.53 ¥874

$2.35 ₡1,052

135.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 ¥442

$1.61 ₡720

73.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ¥444

$4.80 ₡2,152

-41.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$1.61 ₡724

164.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 ¥413

$3.80 ₡1,703

-31.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$3.69 ₡1,657

-30.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥202

$1.13 ₡507

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥118

$2.66 ₡1,191

-71.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 ¥590

$5.18 ₡2,321

-27.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.38 ¥1,007

$19.88 ₡8,916

-67.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ¥281

$2.90 ₡1,300

-38.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ¥320

$3.63 ₡1,626

-44.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.12 ₡504

20.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 ¥9,457

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-17.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$2.14 ₡958

46.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 ¥432

$1.57 ₡703

73.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.59 ¥3,253

$8.52 ₡3,823

141.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥166

$1.52 ₡682

-30.92%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.2K ¥3.4M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-1.85%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.5K ¥2.9M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-46.33%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$132 ¥20.8K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

36.92%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.97 ¥3,788

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-33.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.98 ¥5,052

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-40.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.04 ¥7,431

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-34.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 ¥2,022

$7.89 ₡3,539

62.23%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$642 ¥101.4K

$494 ₡221.6K

29.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ¥2.3M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

22.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 ¥9,801

$53.9 ₡24.2K

15.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.27 ¥5,889

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-32.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.5 ¥9,559

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-22.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.1K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

27.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ¥78.3K

$788 ₡353.4K

-37.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ¥50.1K

$794 ₡356.2K

-60.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 ¥187.3K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-69.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 ¥120.5K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-46.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,455 ¥703.9K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-35.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,881 ¥297.2K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

53.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

8.62

-69.37%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ichikawa: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ichikawa

$317 27.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 151% $477

Groceries & Markets

Ichikawa

$287 24.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 22.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ichikawa

$188 16.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 1.1% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Ichikawa

$118 10.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 2% $2.4

Eating Out

Ichikawa

$104 8.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 104% $108

Getting Around

Ichikawa

$82 7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 6.2% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Ichikawa

$73 6.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 20.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Ichikawa and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Ichikawa vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $352 per month, with Ichikawa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Ichikawa

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

14:26 2:26 PM

15 h behind Ichikawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

496,676

4,912

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ichikawa Nosara 13,040 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Ichikawa
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ichikawa vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ichikawa and Nosara differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,167 vs $1,839 including rent). Ichikawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,751 in Ichikawa and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $495 in Ichikawa versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ichikawa – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,167 in Ichikawa versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ichikawa but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ichikawa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ichikawa and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ichikawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.